


Forgotten Love.

by Elena_Love20



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Brooding Draco, F/M, Head Boy Draco Malfoy, Head Girl Hermione Granger, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hogwarts Head Boys & Head Girls, Pining Draco Malfoy, Portrait Severus Snape - Freeform, Slow Burn, unaware hermione granger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:48:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26518486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elena_Love20/pseuds/Elena_Love20
Summary: As everyone returns too Hogwarts for there final year things don't go according to plan. Long kept secret's are reviled and promises are broken, how will Draco Malfoy cope with the guilt and his conscious eating away at him threating to consume him for the most selfless act he's ever done for the one person he's ever loved.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	1. Distracted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished my chapter early ! My lengths of chapters will go up as time goes on and I’ll add more tags as well. Any grammar errors or layout format is my own doing. 
> 
> And there password translates to forgotten love in Scottish Gaelic. Am Scottish born and raised on the banks of Loch Lomand, so I found it fitting. 
> 
> As always please comment if you’d like. 
> 
> Thank you!

Draco Malfoy sat stiffly in the gardens of the Manor, sipping a cup of steaming Earl Grey tea, and let the watery sun soak into his pale complexion. It was the Monday morning before he was due to return to Hogwarts for his eighth year, as head boy no less, but he couldn’t stop himself from ruminating about the last time he had been there.

His nerves and anxiety began steadily rising as he thought about the horrors he had witnessed; the blood spilt on the grounds and all throughout the castle was something he would never forget. No number of cleaning spells could take away the memories of seeing his second home in such a way. It used to be a place of safety, laughter, and joy and, combined with all the knowledge and history, he had felt loved and cherished.

Draco sighed wistfully as he stood to head back inside. In the end, all this had been destroyed by a psychotic mad man with no nose to boot, and zero realism in his actions.

Grabbing his luggage and shrinking the bags down, he said goodbye to his mother before giving the Manor one last gloomy look and Apparated directly onto Platform 9¾. With strict instructions to head straight to the prefect’s compartment, he glided elegantly through the crowd of bustling first years whose excitement and anticipation were evident. Draco felt almost jealous of their innocence of the war, that they had no bad memories of the castle.

Ignoring the whispers and stares, he boarded the train and headed for his destination quickly, feeling very professional with his head boy badge pinned proudly on his Hogwarts robes.

He reached the prefect’s compartment on time and, finding himself to be the only one there, sat down with a book and made himself comfortable. Setting his face into the famous Malfoy mask of coolness, he started to read in an attempt to try and soothe his anxiety about seeing Hogwarts again. However, as the bright and vibrant Scottish countryside flashed by, he couldn’t help but be transported back through time to the memories of them.

***  
The first of September found Hermione Granger at her second home - the Burrow. She stood on the back fields of the land staring at the wheat that was swaying ever so slightly with the cool Autumn breeze. While she appeared to the outside world as reserved and just casually reading her favourite novel, on the inside Hermione was having an argument with herself; berating herself for feeling nervous and scared of going back to Hogwarts, after all it had been her home for the last seven years. But still, even as she said this to herself, she just couldn’t shake the feeling.

She’d been awarded head girl which was exactly what she needed this year, a distraction from everything that was trying desperately to claw into her mind. She refused to let the war change her and, with the loss of so many, turn her into someone bitter. Every day she fought against the emotions trying to consume her. 

With a heavy sigh and one last look at the fields, she trekked her way back up to the Burrow to greet Ginny and say her goodbyes to the boys - Harry and Ron had both chosen not to return to school and instead head straight to the Auror programme. Walking back, she amused herself by recalling all the things she loved about Hogwarts: the library, visiting Hagrid for tea, headmistress McGonagall, and even her old professor Snape. Although he may no longer be present in physical form, she knew his portrait had been displayed proudly on the headmistresses office door.

As she approached the house, she could feel the Weasleys’ laughter and warmth radiate out and wrap around her like a warm blanket. It did her good as the chilly autumn breeze had turned even colder and she wrapped her hands around her chest, reminding herself to pick up a cardigan.

She was welcomed by the last standing Weasley twin, George, as she walked in through the front of the house. He hadn’t been the same since Fred’s death but now, as time had passed, he had regained some of his laughter back. Hermione knew, however, that no matter how many laughs he did or pranks he pulled his heart was never really in them as much as before. She noticed how quickly his smile dropped, how abruptly his laughter would just melt away, and he would get a faraway look in his eyes. She always paid extra attention to George these days. She quickly pushed away the thoughts of Fred that were rushing to the front of her mind, right now was not the time to get upset.

As he wished her well and slipped a box of Puking Pastilles into her pocket, George leaned back with a wink and said, “they'll come in handy if Malfoy gets a bit lippy and acts as a git.” With a laugh and smirk he walked over to Ginny to say his goodbyes.

Hermione’s attention was diverted to her two best friends who were looking sheepishly at her, not yet ready to say goodbye. She walked over and hugged them both so tightly she thought she might’ve taken the air from them. 

Harry was the first to speak, “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to owl me, or Ron - don’t be stubborn and try to do everything on your own. We know you’re independent, but we’re always here for you.” Hermione went to cut him off, but Harry continued, “We know you can look after yourself but anything at all, especially since Malfoy’s the head boy, you don’t hesitate. I love you, and I’ll see you at Christmas.” With a hug and smile, Harry quickly let her go and walked to Ginny.

With a tear in her eye, she looked at Ron. Even though they never got further than the kiss they had shared on the day of the final battle, they’d remained as good friends as they ever had been.

Hermione was the first to speak. “It’s going to be weird not seeing you wolfing food down like you’ve never been fed before,” she said with a laugh.  
Ron looked relieved that it wasn’t like Harry's goodbye and full of sentiments. 

“Yeah, I’ll finally be able to eat in peace and not be hounded for my bad table manners,” Ron said with a whole-hearted laugh. 

Hermione just smiled and replied with, “Now you’ve got your actual mum do it.” 

Ron's face fell as this realisation washed over him and Hermione couldn't hide the laugh that came out. Ron joined in and, when they'd calmed down, she gave him a hug and whispered, "Goodbye."

She made her way to her luggage, shrunk it down and pocketed it. She bid her goodbyes to Mr and Mrs Weasley, and waited at the door. Ginny appeared no more than a few minutes later and they set off to the one place that felt like hope for everyone. 

Although she'd made sure to triple-check her lists, Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that she was forgetting something. She tried to push the feeling away, reminding herself that she could just owl Harry if it was anything important.


	2. Emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year from Scotland! I've just recovered from my new years, hope everyone is being safe and have had a lovely new years. i am Finally happy with this chapter it's about time I've been staring at it for weeks lol anyway.
> 
> Enjoy!

The moment Hermione stepped foot on Platform 9¾, she felt relief wash over her; she'd never been so happy to be going back to Hogwarts.

Boarding the train, she said goodbye to Ginny and made her way to the prefect's compartment; head girl badge pinned proudly to the front of her robes. She glanced at her watch and, with a jolt, realised that she was late. Hermione hated to be late.

As she arrived at the compartment, she didn’t take any notice of the blonde who immediately tensed when he saw her come into view. She made her way to sit down, pulled out her book, and began to read.  Flicking through one of her favourite novels, Hermione had the strangest sense that someone was watching her; the hairs on the back of her neck prickled and goosebumps crept across her arms.

She ignored the sensations for a solid two minutes before giving in and glancing up from her book. When she did, she was met with stony grey eyes that were boring into her so intensely she couldn’t prevent a gasp from escaping her lips. The noise seemed to startle the boy out of his trance and, as she came back from her momentary shock, she realised it was Draco Malfoy staring at her.

It was the first time in months that she had seen him, the last being at the final battle. They had made eye contact across the Great Hall, not even twenty minutes after the fighting had ended, and Hermione would never forget the raw emotion etched across his face. His sadness and grief had haunted many of her dreams ever since.

Now, back in the carriage, she couldn’t shake the feeling of nervousness that washed over her as Malfoy continued to look at her with an expression on his face that she couldn’t identify.

Deciding to ignore him, Hermione went back to her novel and managed to get so engrossed in it that she eventually forgot about the blonde sitting across from her. That was, until she heard him clear his throat.

“Granger, it’s time for us to fetch the prefects.” Malfoy’s voice sounded strained and tired. Which was a surprise as he looked well slept.

Within seconds she replied, “Of course, I’ll go and get them.”

As she hurried away, she couldn’t quite comprehend why she was feeling this way and what the odd sensation was that she felt when Malfoy spoke to her. Even though he was polite and straight to the point, there was just something Hermione couldn’t place. Nevertheless, she headed around the train and gathered the prefects.

After the prefects meeting was complete, and everyone had returned to their compartments, she sat in silence and waited for their destination. What Hermione didn’t see was a certain pair of liquid silver eyes that didn't leave her for more than a few minutes at a time.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade she got up to retrieve her luggage at the same time as Malfoy but, as she reached for her bag, the train suddenly jerked forward, propelling her into him. Malfoy’s reflexes kicked in almost immediately and he caught her before she toppled to the ground with their luggage in tow.

As she braced her hands against the hard chest that had saved her fall, she couldn't fail to notice the way it felt to touch him. She felt the heat of his touch on her sides go up through her and a blush spread up her neck and face. Hermione looked up at him, expecting him to be looking at her too but, instead, all she found was his face staring over the top of her head; emotionless, with his jaw set so hard that she cringed at the damage it would do to his teeth.

Hermione was the first to speak, “Uh, thank you Malfoy. I lost my footing there for a minute with the jerk of the train.”

Pulling out of his embrace, Malfoy sneered, “You should be more careful, Granger. You could find yourself saved by the wrong person.”

As he spoke, Hermione found herself lost in a trance with the smell of old books and butterscotch sweets. She was pulled back into the present when she heard Malfoy speak again with an annoyed tone. “Did you hear one word I just said, Granger?”

As she realised that she hadn’t in fact heard one word he said she blushed and said, “not entirely I was lost in my thoughts, what did you say?”

He looked at her with a raise of his eyebrow and said, "Never mind, Granger. You were never one for listening anyway.”

Hermione went to retort to that, but they were cut off by everyone leaving the train. She quickly gathered up her things and left the train without a backward glance to Malfoy, who stood rooted to the spot staring after her.

***

Having arrived in the Great Hall and settled in her seat, Hermione looked around and realised that, no matter what happened and how much horror and suffering everyone went through, Hogwarts still stood and everyone managed to smile.  For a few moments, each person could forget about the horrific war that had taken place within the halls and, instead, remember the laughter, love, and magic again .  Hermione’s wistful daze was soon interrupted as she cast her eyes over the Slytherin table where she found Blaise Zabini and Malfoy having a heated discussion. Whatever it was about, Hermione didn’t know and she realised it wasn’ t any of her business anyhow. As if she’d said her thoughts out loud, Malfoy and Zabini turned around at the same time and looked at her. While Zabini sneered and made a motion to Malfoy about something in her direction, Malfoy just waved Zabini off as he packed up his belongings and left the Great Hall without glancing back. As Hermione stared after Malfoy, wondering what the discussion he and Zabini had just had was about, she didn’t notice Blaise staring at her intently - wondering to himself why she was so bothered by them too.

Refocusing back on the students around her, Hermione indulged in some much-needed friendship time with the few remaining peers who’d chosen to return for their final year. She laughed and listened to stories of their summer after the war and she’d cried a little at the mention of some of them that were no longer here but, nevertheless, she was grateful for it all. 

After the feast, Hermione was summoned to the headmistresses office to be appointed her new dormitory and given a list of duties and new dorm locations. As she approached the door, she couldn’t help but crack a smile at her old hooked nosed professor Snape.

With his exact same stern voice, and nose far too high in the air for a painting, Snape said, “Why, if it isn’t Miss Granger Hogwarts very own little know it all has returned.”

“Yes, professor, I am finally home again but, unlike yourself, I can leave in the summer while you are stuck watching over us children for as long as Hogwarts stands,” Hermione replied with a slight smile. Snape looked as if someone had told him Voldemort had risen again. 

Sneering, he said, “Password, Miss Granger?”

With a coy smile and shrug, Hermione replied with just a tiny bit of sarcasm, “Bon Bons.”

With one last withering glare he opened the staircase to the headmistresses office. As she climbed the stairs she heard familiar voices echoing off the stone walls and recognised them as Malfoy and headmistress McGonagall having a heated discussion. Hermione didn’t like to eavesdrop so she quickly knocked and, upon entering, was met with a very hard expression from Malfoy and very stressed McGonagall. She thought it best not to ask what was going on, or what the discussion was about, so she decided to shatter the atmosphere and get right down to business by discussing their dorms and duties for the next few weeks.

About an hour later, Hermione and Malfoy were taken to their new dormitory which was directly along from the headmistress office by about ten minutes down the corridor. As they reached the portrait guarding their door, they saw the four founding members of Hogwarts all sat together, bickering like no tomorrow. 

Failing to notice their arrival, McGonagall cleared her throat and gave a stern look which seemed to pull them from their argument.

Godric Gryffindor was the first to speak, a smug smirk across his face. “Well if it isn’t my very own Gryffindor princess and the Brightest Witch of Her Age. Miss Granger, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Hermione blushed under the proud gaze of Godric Gryffindor and replied, “Thank you, Sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you and have you as our portrait.”

With a smile, he nodded back in answer to Hermione.

Salazar Slytherin spoke next, “Well hello, Mr. Malfoy, Slytherin’s prince - welcome back to Hogwarts. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Severus has spoken of you often.”

“Yes, I do suppose he has. He was a great man,” Malfoy replied to the head of Slytherin.

Salazar Slytherin just smirked and nodded to Malfoy with understanding.

With the pleasantries done, Hermione noticed that Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw had both remained silent, watching the interaction unfold with an expression Hermione couldn’t place. It was a mixture of interest and just a hint of smugness, like they knew something she didn’t.

McGonagall spoke to the portrait of the four founders and said, “Dìochuimhne taidh.”

With a smile, the portrait opened and what lay behind didn't disappoint. However, before Hermione had a moment to fully appreciate her breath-taking surroundings, Malfoy had pushed past her and walked straight to his bedroom. Before opening the door he stopped and glanced back at Hermione; she had to do a double-take when she saw the painful expression flash across his face. When she looked back, his emotions were gone and the mask was back in place.

With Malfoy gone, Hermione was able to take in her surroundings and appreciate the common room and little kitchenette to the side. As she walked through the portrait hole, directly in front of her was a sofa facing a huge fireplace on the left wall and, straight ahead, stood a big bay window, like church windows Hermione thought to herself. The windows were in keeping with the castle’s ancient build and she could picture herself sitting and reading on the window sill.

The fireplace was already roaring with flames as she sat on the sofa opposite. To her right was a green and silver loveseat and to her left was a similar red and yellow one. In front of her was a lovely mahogany coffee table which was the perfect size for her books, she could just imagine sitting by the fire with her favourite novels sprawled out in front of her with a mug of white hot chocolate, just like her dad would make it.

As she continued to take in her surroundings, she stood and walked around the back of the sofa to see the kitchenette on her left in the corner. Directly in front of her was a staircase that led to her and Malfoy’s bedrooms; their doors were each engraved with HG and DM respectively. Hermione scoffed, it was unlikely that she would need the clarification of whose room was who’s - she would definitely not forget.

Climbing the stairs, she took one last look at Malfoy’s door before she opened her own and walked in. What she was met with made her gasp, her room was adorned in her favourite colours: lilac and pale pastel blue. She remembered she’d once told McGonagall that these were her favourite colours and would have to thank the headmistress tomorrow for taking the time to do this.

Directly in front of Hermione was her double bed smothered in pale blue Hogwarts bedding, with Crookshanks nestled up comfortably on her pillows. To her right was a solid oak chest of drawers with a mirror above. Her trunk lay unpacked at the bottom of the bed and all her books were already organised on her shelves. She loved the plush carpet beneath her feet, noting that it would be good for the cold Scottish winter nights and mornings. She was glad it wasn’t oak flooring, shuddering at the thought of how cold her feet would feel in the mornings.

Hermione noticed a door to her left which she presumed was her and Malfoy’s shared bathroom and a balcony door just to the right of this. As she made her way to her chest of drawers to pick pyjamas out and find her toothbrush, she noticed a photo of her, Harry, and Ron. For a moment she was consumed with sadness that they weren’t here with her but she quickly snapped out of it, telling herself they were only in Auror training and she’d see them soon.

She made her way to the bathroom and became consumed by her thoughts as she considered tomorrow’s classes and when she might get the time to go to the library. Because of this, she didn’t notice that there was already someone in the bathroom before it was too late and she stood staring at a very angry and shocked Malfoy.

With a horrified expression on her face she stuttered, “I am so sorry, Malfoy… I didn’t even realise.” 

She was about to run out as quickly as she could, but Malfoy had started speaking, “For fucks sake Granger, knock the next time you go to walk into a shared bathroom. You’d be fuming if I did this to you. Be glad I am not highly strung or this could’ve gone a lot worse. Oh, and stop apologising, especially to me.”

All Hermione could do was stare after him dumbfounded as he walked away, banging the door as he went, and wonder why he sounded so strained.

**Author's Note:**

> So am finally back to this story after a hectic year two new editions to my family another niece and nephew. I finally felt happy enough with this chapter to post it. My good friend @leilahMoon helped with this! check out her story's yous wont be disappointed. 
> 
> Thank You.


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